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Influence of Law and Ethics

As teachers the code of ethics we are bound by can seem over the top by others, and yet in our role we hold so much power and responsibility that it is key we consider the ethics of situations we are faced with. One scenario that I have been faced with recently is that of students being able to email me directly outside of school hours. Generally this is fine with emails relating to confirming information for the next day, or asking for feedback on a piece of writing however I am very aware that this form of communication can easily progress to something that might be more of an ethical dilemma (e.g. students contacting me about personal issues). I will look at this using Hall’s (2001) questions that he has proposed to help guide the ethical decision making process.


  1. Which stakeholders should be given priority? Why?
I think a key aspect of being a teacher is creating relationships with students where they feel safe and comfortable. Email contact can be a great way for students to share questions or issues that they may not want to approach me with in class, and the learners are my priority. Nevertheless their family are also key to this process, and I am always considering them when reading and replying to student emails. For example if a student were to disclose personal information I would need to consider contact parents and making sure that they are also informed so that there is nothing secretive about our contact via email.
2. What restrictions are there to my actions?
According to the NZ Code of professional responsibility and standards, my relationships with learners and their whanau must be professional and respectful. In all email contact I need to ensure that I am communicating in a professional way, and that I engage in relationships that respect professional boundaries. One way I ensure I do this is by including my team leader whenever there is any question for myself as to how to respond to a challenging email. I also write every email to students assuming that my team leader will read it, and that the parents or whanau of the learner will read it as well. This keeps me mindful of the way I am communicating and demonstrating a high level of professionalism.


3. Which courses of actions are possible?
Depending on what information was disclosed in the email I would need to ensure that if the student was at risk I report this. I would ensure that the student understood this so that I minimise the feeling of breaking trust that the student might encounter. I would also want to include and contact whanau if appropriate so that the and so that their trust in me as a professional is built. As a first year teaching I would always refer to my team leader before deciding on a course of action about a challenging or personal email from a student. It would also be important to talk to the whole class about email contact and what is okay, encouraging them to discuss personal issues or concerns on a face to face basis as opposed to via email.
4. How should the course of action be implemented?
After thinking about my own experiences so far, I think a pre-emptive cause of action would be best before any of these more challenging situations might come up with my students. Having a circle time discussion around email contact and the guidelines around all of us using this would be a good chance to talk to them about what is appropriate, and what should be said face to face. This gives me a chance to set up expectations, and ensure that there is an understanding about emails being transparent and professional (not just between me and them, but also between each other).

References:

  1. Conneticut's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program. (2012). Ethical and Professional Dilemmas for Education: Facilitator's Guide. Retrieved from: http://www.ctteam.org/df/resources/Module5_Manual.pdf
  2. Education Council. (n.d). The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/code-of-et..
  3. Hall, A. (2001). What ought I to do, all things considered? An approach to the exploration of ethical problems by teachers. Paper presented at the IIPE Conference, Brisbane. Retrieved from http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Culture/Developing-leaders/What-Ought-I-to-Do-All-Things-Considered-An-Approach-to-the-Exploration-of-Ethical-Problems-by-Teachers


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